Sponge-cup for school-desks



(No Model.) J. S. MCOLUNG.

SPONGE CUP POR SCHOOL DBSKS. No. 477,953. PartentedJune 28, 1.892.

MMM BU/WQ A TTUHNE YS v UNITED STATE-s PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES S. MOCLUNG, OF PUEBLO, COLORADO.

SPONC-E-CUP FOR SCHOOL-DESKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 477,953, dated .Tune 28, 1892.

Application filed December 10, 18941.V Serial No. 414,623. (No model.)

To all whom, t may concern: Be it known that I, JAMES S. MCCLUNG, of

Pueblo, in the county of Pueblo and State of the overflowor overplus water provided for the same.

Another object of the invention is to provide a means whereby the support V for the cup maybe utilized as a rack for the reception of penholders, pencils, and other furniture in use around a desk.

The invention consists in the novel con-y struction and combination of the several parts,

as will be hereinafter fully set forth, .and

pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar figures and letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the Vlews.

Figure l is a perspective View of the de-` vice and a partial perspective View ot' a desk to which the device is applied. Fig.2 is a central vertical section through the spongecup and an end view of its support, and Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the implement employed to press the sponge.

The cup A maybe made of any desired material, sheet metal being preferably employed, and any shape that fancy may dictate may be given to the cup. Ordinarily, however, the cup is made rectangular, as illustrated. The bottom 10 of the cup is inclined from the back downward in direction of the front, and the saidbottom terminates before reaching the front of the cup, Vthus providing in the bottom at the front an opening 11. The metal at the back of the cup is made to extend upward beyond its upper edge proper, as illustrated at 12 in Figs. 1 and 2and this extension of the metal is bent upon itself forwardly and downwardly, forming thereby an inverted troughlike head 13. The shape of lthis head, however, may be changed-as, for instance, an

ovcrhanging bead may be substituted, provided in its under face with agroove or channel; but ordinarily the trough-like head is employed.

The front of the cup near the tophas ordinarily-produced therein an opening 14, and one or more (usually one) openings are made in the back at the center, through which ascrew 15 or other form of fastening device is adapted to be passed.

The cup is preferably placed at the outer side of a desk, as shown in Fig. 1, and in the character of desk illustrated in the drawings, in which the writing-table A is supported above the storage-table B by a metal framework C, the cup hangs at the outer side of the metal frame-work, and as this frame-work is ordinarily made up of a series of open panels a block -1 5 is employed in connection with the cup to facilitate the attachment of the latter to the desk. This block 15 is made to engage with the inner face of the frame-Work C, and has a bearing against the columns separating and defining the panels thereof, and the screw l5 or other fastening device employed after being passed through the cup is made to enter the block.

In placing the block 15, which is prefer ably made to rest upon the storage-chamber B, as shown in Fig. 1, this block not only performs the function of a support for the spongecup, but is also utilized as a rack for the reception of penholders, pencils, and other desk furniture, one face of the upper, lower, or outer faces of the block being to that end provided with one or more grooves or channels 16, into which such furniture may be laid.

In connection with the sponge-cup an implement D is employed, which I denominate a presser, the said presser consisting of a plate 17 of a size rendering it capable of being readily inserted in the cup 4and a handle 18, which extends from one face of the plate at an angle therefrom, as shown in Fig. 3. This handle is usually applied to the central portion of the plate, and the angle at `which too it is attached to the plate is ordinarily a right angle. The lower edge of the plate has produced therein recesses 19 to permit water to escape when the sponge is pressed.

The sponge-cups having been attached to the desks and the sponges placed therein at certain periods of time, a pupil may be delegated to dampen the sponges in all of the cups. This pupil carries a presser D and also a light receptacle capable of being hooked over the top of a cup or into the front opening 14, and when so attached of extending beneath the opening 11 in the bottom of the cup to receive any water dripping therefrom. The pupil further carries a vessel containing Water, and upon reaching a desk water is poured upon the sponge, the receptacle to receive the surplus water having been previously attached to the cup. When the sponge has been sufiiciently moistened to saturate it, the plate orbody of the presser is inserted into the cup in front of the sponge and the upper edge of this plate or body of the presser is introduced underthe head 13,as shownin Fig. 2,and by depressing the plate or body of the presser, which is accomplished by lowering its handle 18, the back surface of the plate or body is brought to bear against the sponge, and by using the head 13 as a fulcrum for the plate or body of the presser its handle is carried farther downward, and the sponge is thereby.

forced against the back of the cup, squeezing any surplus water out therefrom, which will run down the inclined bottom of the cup out through the opening 11 in the bottom and into the receptacle placed beneath said opening to receive it.

If in practice it is found desirable, a dripcup may be removably secured to each of the sponge-cups. y

By means of this attachment it will be observed that each and every sponge in a school may be kept in a proper condition for use, and at the same time perfect order be preserved.

It is evident that the device is exceedingly simple, and, as heretofore stated, that it. may

be applied to any form of school-desk; and it is further evident that the presser may be used in different ways-as, for instance, it may be employed Without a tulcrum to exert direct pressure upon the sponge either horizontally or vertically.

Having thus described my invention, I

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. As an improved article of manufacture, a sponge-cup provided with an inclined bottom and an opening at the lowest point in the bottom and a head overhanging the cup at the back, substantially as shown and described.

2. As an improved article of manufacture,

a sponge-cup provided with a bottom inclined downwardly from the back in direction of the front and also provided with an opening in the bottom at the front and a head located longitudinally at the back of the cup, which head is elevated above the upper edge of the sides of the ends and front, the said head extending over in direction of the interior of the cup, as and for the purpose specified.

3. In a receptacle for Sponges, the combination, with a box having a bottom inclined downward from the back in direction of the front and an opening in the bottom near the front, of a supporting-block having sundry of its surfaces formed as a rack and means, substantially as described, for connecting the cup with the block, as and for the purpose set forth.

4:. The combination, with a sponge-cup provided with a head located at the back and extending over the interior portion ot' the cup and also provided with a bottom inclined from the back downward in direction of the front and an opening in the bottom near the front, of a presser comprising a plate and a handle attached to the plate, the plate of the presser being adapted to engage with the head formed upon the cup and the sponge located within the cup, substantially as shown and described.

5. The combination, with a sponge-cup provided with an inclined bottom and an opening in said bottom, of a presser comprising a plate and a handle projected from the plate, the plate of the presser being adapted to compress a sponge when placed in the cup, substantially as described.

6. The combination, with a sponge-cup provided With a head formed longitudinally upon the back and extending over in direction of the interior of the cup and further provided with an inclined bottom and an opening in the lowest point in the bottom, of a support consisting of a block having its surfaces formed as a rack, a presser adapted to compress a sponge when located iu the cup, the said presser comprising a body-plate adapted at its upper edge to engage with the head formed upon the cup, and a handle projected outward from the plate, and a fastening device, substantially as described, whereby the box or cup may be secured to a desk, as and for the purpose specified.

JAMES S. MCCLUNG.

Witnesses:

T. W. JONES, H. J. MCCLUNG.

TOO 

